


Family Tales

by Shuichi_Akai



Series: Tales Universe [4]
Category: One Piece
Genre: AU, AU of an AU, Alternate Universe, Crocodile is a former Marine, Crocodile was raised by Sengoku, Family, Fluff, Gen, Tales AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-09
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-04-20 10:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14259411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shuichi_Akai/pseuds/Shuichi_Akai
Summary: [Alternate Tales AU] Thinking that Luffy needs a Marine role model, Garp kidnaps his nephews and ditches them on Dawn Island.





	1. Chapter 1

**A/N: For those that don’t know, the Tales AU is a universe where Crocodile and his younger brother, Alligator, are adopted by Sengoku when they are eight and one years old. When Rocinante gets adopted, they treat him like a little brother. Dragon is kind of their cousin since Garp declared Rocinante, Alligator, and Crocodile to be his nephews.**

**Crocodile—33 years old**  
**Alligator and Corazon—26 years old**  
**Law—13 years old**  
**Luffy—6 years old**

 

Right before Doflamingo pulled the trigger to end his brother’s life, there was a loud crash in between the two brothers. “What kind of trick is Corazon pulling?” Doflamingo growled as the snow settled down.

“Bwahaha!” Standing between them was none other than Garp the Fist. The Marine hero was facing Corazon, who had turned several shades paler at the sight of his superior. “There you are, Roci!”

“G-G-Garp-san!?” Corazon managed to stutter, falling backwards with his back hitting the chest Law was in.

“I need you and your two brothers to make my grandson into a Marine,” Garp told Corazon. “You can bring your son with you too. I’m sure Luffy will enjoy a playmate,”

Before Corazon could react, Garp grabbed him and threw him in the direction of the ship along with the chest Law was hiding inside of. Garp followed after them, ignoring the Donquixote Pirates in favor of speeding up the process of kidnapping Crocodile and Alligator.

The pirates stood there, still processing what the hell had just happened.

XXX

Three men and a young teenage boy were tied up with seastone chains. “Damn it Garp!” Crocodile snapped. “Where the hell are you taking us!?”

“You three are gonna help my grandson—you’re guys’ nephew—become a Marine!” Garp answered.

“If you haven’t noticed,” Crocodile managed to get himself in a sitting position. “I’m a pirate,”

“But you were a Marine before,” Garp responded. 

“Wait,” Alligator said. “You’re grandson, as in HIS son? There’s no way that HE had a lover!” 

“Cora-san, who are these people and what are they talking about?” Law asked, staying as close to the klutz as possible.

“Admiral Sengoku kinda adopted me and these two became my older brothers,” Corazon explained. “For some reason Garp calls us his nephews which makes Garp’s son our cousin. If we both had made it out of Minion Island alive, I was planning on adopting you,”

Law headbutted Corazon angrily, eyes close to tears. “You lied when you said that he wouldn’t kill you…If that crazy old man hadn’t appeared then you would’ve died!”

“I’m sorry Law,” Corazon said. “It was the only way I could think of for you to escape,”

“Oh yeah,” Garp turned to Corazon and Law. “Roci, you can make your brat into a Marine too!”

“I’m not gonna be a Marine you crazy old man!” Law shouted.

Garp slammed his fist on Law’s head. “It’s Grandpa to you!”

“You’re not even my grandfather!”

XXX

“Luffy, these three are your uncles,” Garp introduced. “The other brat is your cousin,”

“No I’m not!” Law yelled.

Ignoring the teen’s shouts, Garp continued. “Your uncles will be training you and your cousin to be strong Marines,”

“I’m not gonna be a Marine!” Luffy claimed. “That sounds boring!”

Garp hit Luffy’s head. “You will be a Marine!” He then started to leave. “I’d stay to train you myself but Sengoku’s nagging to me about all my paperwork I have to fill out,”

Luffy stared at the four and they stared back. “I’m Monkey D. Luffy!” Luffy grinned.

“I’m Rocinante and these two are my older brothers, Crocodile and Alligator,” Corazon introduced. “This boy is my son, Law,”

“I don’t plan on becoming a Marine!” Luffy declared.

“And we don’t plan on making you one,” Crocodile replied calmly, lighting up a cigar. 

Luffy’s eyes lit up and he rushed to Crocodile. “You have a hook and a scar! So cool!”

“Are we sure he’s related to HIM?” Alligator asked. “But then again, he’s also related to Garp-san. Since I don’t see him around and raising Luffy himself, then Luffy must be taking more after Garp-san’s personality,” 

XXX

Luffy dragged the group to Party’s Bar. “Makino! I’m back!”

“Welcome back Luffy,” Makino greeted. “I see that you’ve brought company,”

“Yup!” Luffy grinned and he climbed onto a barstool at the counter. “Gramps said that they’re my uncles and cousin!”

Mayor Woop Slap sat down at the counter, reading a newspaper. He glanced up and immediately noticed Crocodile. “Y-You’re the Shichibukai Crocodile!”

“Shichibukai?” Luffy tilted his head. “What’s that? Is it tasty?”

“The Shichibukai are seven pirates that don’t have Marines chasing them in exchange of helping the Marines when called to action,” Woop Slap informed the boy. “That man is one of them!” He pointed at the pirate. “What are you doing in Foosha Village!?”

“Garp-san’s our uncle,” Alligator claimed as the rest of them sat down beside Luffy. “We’re supposed to train Luffy into becoming a Marine, but he doesn’t want to so we won’t force him. Same goes for Law,” He patted the mushroom espresso’s head which earned him a glare.

“Tell me about your guys’ adventures!” Luffy bounced in his seat. “Tell me what adventures you guys have been on!”

Crocodile looked at Makino. “I have a feeling he won’t take no for an answer,”

“It’s been so long since we’ve been on Dawn Island,” Corazon said. “The last time I’ve been here was…when Garp-san threw me and Alligator off a cliff…” He shivered at the memory. “I hate Garp-san’s training,”

“Cora-san, I don’t trust them,” Law told him, glaring at Crocodile and Alligator.

“They’re my brothers,” Corazon assured him. “They won’t hurt us,”

“Doflamingo’s your brother,” Law argued. “He tried to murder you!”

“Yeah but that’s because I betrayed him,” Corazon pointed out. “Croc and Al know that I’m a Marine. Besides, if Doffy chases us down to East Blue, Crocodile is strong enough to protect us. That’s more the reason to stay with them instead of leaving,”

Law hated to admit it, but Corazon was right. He guessed that staying on Dawn Island wouldn’t be so bad. At least the old guy wasn’t staying with them.  
So this will be a collection of short stories revolving around Crocodile, Alligator, Corazon, Law, and Luffy. Eventually Shanks, Ace, and Sabo will show up in future chapters. 

**If you have any ideas, feel free to submit them in the comments.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Crocodile—33 years old**  
**Alligator and Corazon—26 years old**  
**Law—13 years old**  
**Luffy—6 years old**

Law hated Luffy. Hate may be a strong word but Luffy was irritating. He kept talking about random stuff, was constantly hungry, and could never sit still for long. He was also always smiling, even though Law made it obvious with his glares that he wasn't enjoying his company.

But the biggest reason of all that Law hated him was because he reminded him of his younger sister, Lami. Back in Flevance, before she was infected with White Lead Disease, Lami was always cheerful and enjoyed festivals. Her sister's happiness and smiles brought a smile to his own face. But she was gone now, along with the rest of the citizens of Flevance.

To make matters worse, Luffy had told them that Foosha Village was preparing for a festival that night. Corazon noticed his son's depressing mood. "Law, it'll be fun. Think, we finally get to stay in a town for once and enjoy it,"

"I don't like festivals," Law snapped. They reminded him too much of Flevance and Lami.

Corazon knelt down. "If you really don't want to go, you don't' have to. I'll stay with you so you won't be lonely,"

"No," Law shook his head. "You should go to the festival and have fun,"

"I'm not leaving you alone," Corazon told him.

Law sighed. "I'll go to the festival for a few minutes so that you'll go too,"

Corazon grinned. "It'll be fun, I promise,"

XXX

The festival was quite enjoyable. Law was actually smiling, although his smile was small. Corazon wanted Law to have fun like an actual kid should. Crocodile had been given some beri by Garp to use on their living expenses. Most of it was spent on food. Most of that food was eaten by Luffy. They were a hundred percent sure that Luffy was related to Garp. However, the bottomless stomach made them wonder if Dragon wasn't related to them by blood.

Law was set off by the fireworks. He immediately froze as memories flashed before his eyes. They weren't the happy ones, they were of Flevance being destroyed. The fireworks reminded him of the gunshots and explosions. It reminded him of the flames that killed his younger sister. Law fell to his knees, tears streaming down as he clutched the sides of his head. "Lami…"

Luffy stopped and looked to Law. "Law, what's wrong?"

Corazon picked Law up and cradled him to his chest. "I'll bring him somewhere where he can rest. Luffy, Garp-san said that we're staying with you?"

Luffy led the way out of the crowded streets of the village and to a large house. "My room's the first one upstairs. There are more rooms after it,"

"Thanks Luffy," Corazon nodded. "You guys can return to the festival now,"

Luffy didn't budge and was focused on Law's muffled sobs.

"Law will be fine," Corazon assured. "Just give him some space," He looked at his older brothers to drag Luffy away.

After Crocodile, Alligator, and Luffy left, Law's sobs grew louder. "The World Government killed them all, Cora-san! The Marines invaded Flevance and killed them! They killed Lami and my parents and Sister and my classmates and EVERYONE!"

Corazon did his best to comfort Law and kept him in an embrace. What was he supposed to say? Was he supposed to tell Law that it's alright now? It wasn't alright since they were still dead. Family was irreplaceable. You can gain family and lose some, but you can't replace them.

XXX

"Uncle Croc?" Luffy asked. "Why was Law crying?"

Crocodile bit down on his cigar. "The world is run by greedy selfish bastards,"

"Law should eat meat!" Luffy suggested. "Meat always cheers me up,"

_'If only it was as simple as that,'_

XXX

"Law!" Luffy shouted, right next to the said boy's bed. "You were really sad yesterday so I got you some meat to cheer you up!"

The teenager stared at the plate. It was unappetizing and looked disgusting. It resembled a lump of unidentifiable matter.

"I added wine since a lot of people like to drink it so it must taste good. I also added…"

As Luffy continued to list the items, Law poked the lump. He saw some dust moving along the floor of his room and slowly making his way to the plate. Alligator was in the doorway mouthing to Law to keep Luffy distracted.

"So Luffy-ya," Law asked as Alligator picked the plate up and started to bring it towards the window. "What are you going to be in the future?"

"I'm not gonna be a Marine!" Luffy replied. "Since Uncle Croc had lots of adventures as a pirate, I'll be one too!" Alligator threw the plate of food out the window just as Luffy looked down to where it was previously. "You also ate the plate! You're dumb, Law. You don't eat plates,"

Law glared at Luffy in response to the insult. "Where are the others?"

"They're downstairs," Luffy answered. "Uncle Croc and Uncle Roci fell asleep at the table after eating a single bite of food. They must be really tired,"

 _'I better check them afterwards in case the 'food' is actually going to kill them,'_ Law thought as they all headed down.

"I smell more food!" Luffy rushed to the kitchen where Makino was.

"Hi Luffy," Makino greeted. "I'm just making some bacon and eggs for you and your family,"

"Shishishi! Law was so hungry that he even ate the plate!" Luffy grinned as he took a seat next to Crocodile.

"Kill…me…" Crocodile managed to say. _'I'm never eating Luffy's cooking ever again!'_

"Cora-san, you still alive?" Law asked, poking Corazon's shoulder.

"I think so…" Corazon mumbled. The pride in Luffy's eyes had made it impossible for Corazon to refuse. He had thought that looks could be deceiving, but the food tasted as bad as it looked.


	3. Chapter 3

**Crocodile—34 years old**   
**Alligator and Corazon—27 years old**   
**Law—14 years old**   
**Luffy—7 years old**   
**Shanks—27 years old**

An entire year had passed. Life in Foosha Village was rather peaceful compared to the usual pirate life Corazon, Law, and Crocodile were used to. They didn’t have to worry about any Marines except Garp himself. Whenever he came for a visit about every other month, they all did their best to hide only for the vice admiral to easily find them. His visits were the only thing that they had been dreading.

They were all relaxing in Party’s Bar when the mayor burst through the doors. “P-Pirates!”

“Which crew?” Crocodile asked.

“Hey, hey, we said that we’re not here to cause any trouble,” A voice said from behind Woop Slap. It was a man in his late twenties with red hair and scars across one of his eyes. “My crew and I are just here to rest and restock,”

“Akagami no Shanks!” Crocodile immediately recognized one of the Yonko. 

“Hi Shanks!” Alligator greeted the pirate.

“Alligator!?” He spotted Corazon. “Rocinante!? What a surprise to see you guys here!”

Crocodile turned to his younger brothers. “How the hell do you guys know one of the Four Emperors?”

“We are kinda…friends with him…” Corazon confessed with the guiltiest look he could muster while Crocodile was glaring at them.

“We got left behind after Roger and Uncle Garp were fighting,” Alligator explained. “We were discovered while the Roger Pirates threw a party but instead of tossing us into the sea, they let us join the celebrations,”

“Garp left you guys with his enemy!?” Crocodile exploded. “What the hell is wrong with that old man!?”

“Let’s throw a party in celebration of our reunion!” Shanks declared.

“You just wanted to throw a party…” Benn mumbled as everyone else cheered.

XXX

“Ah, so this is your son?” Shanks asked. “Did you finally ask Bellemere out?”

Corazon turned red. “Shut up!”

“Cora-san, who’s Bellemere?” Law asked.

“A girl that Roci literally fell head over heels for,” Shanks informed. “I heard that she’s a few islands away from here and raising two daughters,”

Corazon deflated at the mention for Bellemere having daughters. “Oh…she has a family now…”

“Hey cheer up Roci!” Shanks shoved a mug of beer into Corazon’s hand. “They’re adopted! She didn’t marry anyone yet! You two are obviously meant for each other!”

“I accidentally fall onto her one time,” Corazon began.

“Multiple times,” Alligator coughed. “Not all accidental,”

Corazon ignored Alligator. “And you ship me with her?”

“You’re pirates just like Uncle Croc, right?” Luffy asked. 

“Ah, so you’re that crazy Marine’s grandson,” Shanks turned to the seven year old. “Are you planning on arresting us?”

“Pfft! There’s no way I’m gonna be a Marine like Gramps!” Luffy claimed. “I’m gonna be a pirate! Let me join your crew!”

Shanks broke out into laughter. “DAHAHA! A kid like you? Become a pirate?”

“Luffy, the pirate life isn’t all fun and games,” Crocodile said. “It’s too dangerous for a kid like you,”

“Law said he was a pirate!” Luffy pointed out.

“He’s had training,” Corazon responded. “Garp’s training is only a hint of what the dangers of the sea are truly like,”

XXX

A few days had passed. Crocodile, Corazon, and Law had left to go to Flevance to make gravestones for the citizens. Law had regained enough of his strength over the year and had also learned to control his Devil Fruit a bit. At first, Corazon was worried about Law’s emotional wellbeing but Law assured him that it was alright. Luffy and Alligator were upset that they were being left behind but it’d be suspicious if they were all gone when Garp visits.

Currently, Luffy was on the figurehead of the Red Force, a knife in his hand. “I’m not joking! I’ve had enough! I’ll prove it for you all to see!”

“Don’t do anything stupid, Lu,” Alligator warned, eyeing the knife warily.

“Dahaha! Go for it!” Shanks cheered. “Let’s see what you’re gonna do!”

Luffy took the knife and stabbed himself under the eye. “OUUUCH!”

“I-IDIOT! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?” Shanks exclaimed.

Alligator immediately rushed up to Luffy and removed the knife, applying a handkerchief against the wound. “I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO ANYTHING STUPID!” 

XXX

“Let’s drink up and celebrate!”

“To Luffy’s craziness and to our greatness!”

Alligator was sulking at the counter. ‘Uncle Garp’s gonna kill me for not stopping Luffy…’

“It didn’t hurt one bit!” Luffy lied.

“Liar!” Shanks scolded. “Don’t do anything so stupid again!”

"I'm not afraid of pain at all!” Luffy claimed. “Next time bring me out to sea! I want to be a pirate too!"

“You can’t handle being a pirate!” Shanks mocked. “Not being able to swim is a pirate’s greatest weakness!”

“As long as I stay onboard the ship, I’ll be fine!” Luffy snapped. “Besides, my fighting is pretty good too! I’ve rigorously trained before! My punch is as strong as a pistol!”

“Pistol?” Shanks had a bored tone and expression. “Wow…really?”

“What kind of tone is that!?”

“Luffy you seem unhappy!”

“Be happy to face anything!”

“Yeah! A pirate’s life is great!”

“The sea is so wide and deep. You can go to any island and seek adventure!”

“Nothing is greater than freedom!”

“Don’t’ give him dumb ideas, guys,” Shanks advised. 

“But it’s the truth, right?” A crewmember asked.

“Right!” Lucky Roo nodded.

“Captain, why don’t you take him with us one time? It’s not big a deal!”

“Yeah!” Luffy turned to them in agreement.

“Well, then next time one of you get off the ship and let him take your place,” Shanks suggested.

“We’ve said enough! Let’s drink!” 

“What kind of friends are you!?” Luffy yelled.

“The most important thing is that you’re still young,” Shanks said. “Wait at least another ten years and I’ll reconsider taking you out to sea,”

“Darn it shanks! Let me tell you!” Luffy shouted. “I’m not a kid anymore!”

“Don’t be mad,” Shanks passed a glass of orange juice to Luffy. “Here, drink some juice,”

“Okay thanks!” Luffy gulped it down.

Shanks broke out in laughter. “You really are a kid! How funny!”

Luffy stood up and started to walk away from him. “Hmph! I’m so tired! I even cut myself today and he still won’t agree!” 

“Luffy, you should try to understand captain’s feelings,” Benn told him. “He is our leader and he knows that being a pirate is interesting, but he also knows that a pirate’s life is hard and very dangerous. Do you understand? He doesn’t purposely tease your ambitions of being a pirate,”

“I don’t understand!” Luffy snapped. “Shanks just takes me for an idiot!”

“Luffy, you said that you’re punch was as strong as a pistol?” Alligator finally spoke. “A pistol isn’t that strong compared to actual pirates. I’m a Marine. I’ve fought actual pirates and some of the ones I’ve encountered are not to be underestimated. Even Crocodile has had trouble against some pirate crews, but don’t tell him that I told you that,” His voice became quieter. “Rocinante was nearly killed by a pirate before Uncle Garp kidnapped him and Law,”

Before Luffy could respond, the doors were kicked open and some bandits entered. “Excuse me!” The leader noticed the other patrons. “Hehe, so this is what pirates look like, huh? This is the first time I’ve seen pirates. They look pretty dumb to me,” The man approached Makino at the counter. “We are bandits. We’re not here to cause any trouble. We just wanna buy ten barrels of sake,”

“I’m so sorry but we’re all out of sake,” Makino said.

“Oh? That’s strange, then what are they drinking?” Higuma asked. “Is it water?”

“It’s sake,” Makino informed. “But that’s all we have,”

“I’m sorry,” Shanks apologized. “Looks like we’ve finished all the sake here. Sorry about that,” He held up a bottle. “Here, if you don’t mind take the last bottle,”

Luffy had noticed a chest with a weird fruit with swirls and began to eat it. Alligator’s eyes widened but before he could stop him, Higuma smashed the bottle on Shank’s head. “Just who do you think I am? Don’t take me so lightly. One bottle is not enough!”

“Oh no,” Shank’s smile disappeared. “Now the floor is all wet,”

Higuma held up a bounty poster. “See this? My head is worth eight million beri. I’m one of the prime fugitives here and I’ve killed fifty six people before you cocky bastard!”

“You’re too noisy,” Alligator stood up. 

“Huh? Didn’t you hear me!?” Higuma glared at him. “I said that I killed fifty six people before!”

“I’m Commander Rei Alligator of Marine HQ,” Alligator cracked his knuckles. 

“Huh? You think that a commander can stop me?” Higuma laughed. “It’ll ta—”

Before Higuma could even finish his sentence, a blur sped past him and defeated all of the other bandits. Alligator then grabbed Higuma by the head and slammed him to the ground. “Get out of my sight, scum. I’m supposed to be off duty and enjoying time with my nephew,”

“I-I’ll get you back for this!” Higuma stammered as he ran out of the bar.

“Hey Shanks,” Alligator turned to the Yonko. “Luffy ate the Devil Fruit that was in the chest,”

“EH!?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Law, Corazon, and Crocodile’s time in Flevance will probably show up in the next chapter. The amber lead won’t poison them since they won’t be staying there long enough to get poisoned.


	4. Chapter 4

**Crocodile—34 years old**   
**Alligator and Corazon—27 years old**   
**Law—14 years old**   
**Luffy—7 years old**   
**Shanks—27 years old**

“Luffy spit it out!” Shanks shook the seven year old upside down.

Luffy’s neck stretched and his head hit the floor. “What’s happening!?”

“You idiot you just ate the Gomu-Gomu no mi!” Shanks shouted. “It’s a Devil Fruit! Now you’ll never be able to swim!”

“WHAT!?” Luffy exclaimed.

“You dumbass!” Shanks scolded.

“Technically it is your fault, Shanks,” Alligator defended. “You left it on the counter in an opened chest. It’s a fruit and anyone without knowledge of Devil Fruits would mistake it for a normal one. Luffy, apparently your body is rubber now,”

Luffy’s expression went from shock to upset as he turned to Shanks, seemingly forgetting about the sudden new change. “You should’ve fought back! If you just laugh it up, you’re not a man!”

“It’s just a bottle of sake,” Shanks told him. “Some things are not worth getting worked up about,”

“But he insulted you!” Luffy argued.

“Not engaging in fights isn’t a sign of cowardice,” Shanks claimed. “Besides, there wasn’t really any harm done except for the mess,”

XXX

Alligator was taking a nap. He had been giving Luffy lessons about Devil Fruits. Most of the info went in through one ear and out the other since Luffy found them to be boring. Shanks had gone sailing and was going to return that afternoon, so Luffy decided to hang at Party’s Bar. Everything was fine until Higuma showed up again and Luffy demanded him to apologize to Shanks. Recognizing the boy as the one who was present earlier, he kidnapped him. Makino attempted to fight back but she wasn’t any match for the bandit.

“Alligator!” Makino called, throwing the door to the shared house open. 

Alligator yawned from the couch, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “Makino? What’s up?”

“Luffy’s been kidnapped by the bandits!” 

By the time they reached where Luffy and the bandits were, there was smoke clearing up. Alligator noticed Shanks and his crew were there. Shanks was panicking. “Oh no! We got careless! They took Luffy! What should we do!?”

“Captain don’t panic!” Lucky Roo said. “Let’s split up and find them!”

“What do you mean they took Luffy!?” Alligator demanded, grabbing Shanks by his shirt. “I know you’re strong enough to easily defeat them all! Why did you just let them take my nephew!?”

“Relax, Al,” Shanks said, his tone turning serious. “You know I won’t let anything happen to him. Luffy needs to understand just how dangerous the life of a pirate is. I won’t let him get killed. Trust me,”

Alligator released his hold. “Fine. I trust you,”

XXX

Alligator’s eyes widened as Shanks and Luffy made it to shore. His eyes were focused on the blood coming from where Shanks’ arm was supposed to be. Luffy was taken by Makino as the Red Haired Pirates’ doctor worked to stop the bleeding.

“Your arm…” Alligator whispered. “Why?”

“It’s just an arm, Alligator,” Shanks laughed it off.

“I know that you’re strong enough to have easily defeated that Sea King!” Alligator yelled. “So why did you let it take your arm!?”

“I bet it on the creation of a new age,” Shanks said. “I know that Luffy is going to be a great pirate one day,”

XXX

They had all expected Flevance to be empty, deserted of life. They had expected to see the ruins of the buildings and skeletons lying around. But that wasn’t what they had saw. The buildings and the remains of the citizens have been removed. There were people in hazmat suits carrying pick-axes while others were pushing wheelbarrows full of amber lead.

“Even after everyone was killed…” Law whispered. “The World Government bastards are still mining for amber lead! Everyone I knew died here! The World Government doesn’t care for people’s lives! They only care for profits!”

“I need to inform Sengoku-san about this!” Corazon looked down to his adoptive son. “Law—”

“I’LL KILL THEM ALL!” Law shouted, drawing the attention of the workers.

“Hey! Who the hell are you guys!?” They demanded.

“ROOM!” Law formed a small dome that barely encompassed the nearby group of workers. “SHAMBLES!” He reappeared in front of them and drew a small sword, cutting the people around him.

“Crocodile we have to stop him!” Corazon said. One of the men hit Law with the pick axe, which caused Corazon to go into rage. “Leave him alone!”

Crocodile waited a few minutes before he easily took out the men. He watched as Corazon scooped Law into his arms, trying to soothe the child. For the next couple minutes, Crocodile smoked a cigar, waiting for the two to regain their composure.

The rest of the miners tried to fight back too but once they realized that they were no match, they all fled. Law came to the spot where his family hospital used to be. Crocodile blew all of the tents that had been set up away. Law fell to his knees, tears streaming as he sobbed loudly. “Mother…Father…Lami…I’m back…” He let out a wail of sadness. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you guys!” 

There was a moment of silent from the two adults. Law’s sob echoed through the now empty island. When Law had managed to stop crying, they began to make wooden gravestone crosses. Law carved the names of everyone he could remember into the crosses. There were several blank crosses for those that Law didn’t know the names of. The entire former town was filled with graves.

XXX

They stopped by Swallow Island on the way back to restock. Law was hesitant at first, still recalling the events from the previous year. Eventually he decided to explore town on his own. He stopped in front of an old swords shop. His current sword was already old and he would need a new weapon.

As he entered the shop he was greeted by an old man. “Hello there young man,” The old man began to suggest some types of swords for the teenager.

But the fourteen year old ignored him. A voice was drawing him to a certain part of the shop. There were no understandable words, but it was pulling Law toward it, as if it were a siren. His body moved on his own towards the location. The voice wasn’t a beautiful song of a mermaid, it was the bloodthirsty cries of a killer.

Law stopped in front of a nodachi. The hilt was a light purple color and a fluffy guard rested between it and the blade. The sheath was black decorated with a row of white crosses on either side, a red string coiled near the guard. Its voice was now roaring in Law’s ears. Law only understood one thing out of everything the sword was saying.

“Kikoku,”

The old man stared at Law. “You can hear her voice?”

“Kikoku is a male sword spirit,” Law corrected. “He was calling to me,”

The old man opened the case and motioned for Law to pick Kikoku up. “Kikoku is a cursed sword,”

As soon as Law’s hand wrapped around the sword’s hilt, the words became clearer and more understandable.

_“I cAn FeEl YoUr ThIrSt FoR rEvEnGe! LeT mE hElP yOu. In ExChAnGe YoU mUsT sAtE mY bLoOdThIrSt!”_

Law wanted to defeat Doflamingo. No, he didn’t want to just defeat him. He wanted to kill him! If it wasn’t for Garp, Doflamingo would’ve killed Cora-san! He wasn’t going to let Doflamingo have another chance to kill Cora-san!


	5. Chapter 5

**Crocodile—34 years old**  
**Alligator and Corazon—27 years old**  
**Law—14 years old**  
**Luffy—7 years old**  
**Penguin—16 years old**  
**Shachi—15 years old**  
**Bepo—10 years old**

Law was quite of a bit of an odd sight as he strolled through the village with a sword that was way taller than him leaning against his shoulder. As he passed by an alley, he heard a high pitched cry of pain. Turning to the source, he saw two teenagers hitting what seemed to be a polar bear cub wearing clothes.

Anger flashed across Law’s face, recalling how Vergo had beaten him on Minion Island. “Room,” He formed his dome around him and the two teens. The teens hadn’t noticed him nor the dome yet, being too focused on harming the polar bear.

“KiLl ThEm!”

Law nearly gave into the voice but quickly made sure that he was using his ability as he sliced the air in front of him. ‘I’m not looking to kill these two,’

“What the hell!?” The two boys exclaimed as they were suddenly in pieces floating around the dome.

_“ShEd BlOoD!”_

 _‘You’re bloodthirst will have to wait for now,’_ Law told the sword before calmly walking pass the panicking teens and began to examine the polar bear cub. “Nothing seems broken,”

“I’m sorry…” A timid voice said.

Law looked to the bear’s face. “Was that you?”

The bear nodded a bit before repeating, “I’m sorry…”

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry for,” Law gently patted the bear. “Though, I’ve never heard of a talking polar bear before,”

“I’m a Mink from Zou,” The bear said.

“Zou?” Law questioned.

“The country is on top of a giant elephant’s back,” The Mink whispered.

“HEY!” The two boys screamed, earning freaked out stares from people passing by. “PUT US BACK TOGETHER!”

“Tch, you guys are noisy,” Law did put them back together, but their pieces were all mixed up. 

“Hey,” Law asked the bear. “What’s your name?”

“B-Bepo,” The cub stuttered.

“You must’ve traveled far from your home since I didn’t see any giant elephant around,” Law said. “I’m looking for people to join my crew,”

XXX

“Cora-san,” Law introduced. “This is my first mate, Bepo,”

“Law! You’re not supposed to be a pirate!” Corazon scolded. “You’re too young!”

“I was a pirate since I was ten,” Law reminded. He paused and turned around to the two teens who had followed them. “What do you want? Here to lose again?”

“You’re really strong,” The older boy said. “We want to join your crew!”

_“KiLl ThEm!”_

_‘They are quite troublesome,’_ Law thought. _‘But a pirate crew has to start somewhere,’_ “Fine,”

“We won’t fail you captain!” 

_‘Those poor, poor kids,’_ Crocodile shook his head sadly. _‘They don’t know what lies ahead of them when Garp finds out,’_

“I’m Shachi,” The younger of the duo introduced.

“I’m Penguin,” The older added.

“I’m Law,” Law told them.

“I’m Rocinante, Law’s guardian,” Corazon said. 

“Crocodile, Law’s uncle,” Crocodile exhaled wisps of smoke.

“What’s our crew name and our Jolly Roger?” Penguin questioned.

_‘A pirate crew name will stick with us and we will be known by it,’_ Law thought. _‘I don’t want my crew to have a generic name such as the Law Pirates. I want the name to have meaning,’_ He looked to Corazon. “We’ll be the Heart Pirates,”

“Heart Pirates?” A glare from their captain shut Shachi and Penguin up.

Law took out a piece of paper and pen, scribbling something down. “This is our Jolly Roger,”

“Why does that look like Doffy’s?” Corazon frowned at the resemblance.

“It’s supposed to resemble your smile,” Law claimed. 

“M-My smile?” Corazon stuttered in embarrassment. “Wait, the Heart Pirates as in—”

“The Heart Seat and its holder, Corazon,” Law nodded. 

“Marines are supposed to stop pirates and prevent crews from forming, not inspire them,” Corazon sulked. “Garp-san is going to kill me…” 

“Your sword,” Crocodile spoke up. “It’s not a normal one,”

“How’d you know it’s cursed?” Law asked.

“I can feel his killing intent and hear his howls for blood,” Crocodile didn’t take his eyes off of the nodachi. “Why did you choose him?”

“For revenge,” Law answered. “Unlike most pirates, I don’t care about finding the One Piece. I only care about killing Doflamingo and taking down the World Government,”

“You and Dragon would get along well,” Crocodile commented.

“Law, there’s no way that you can take down Doffy or the World Government! They’re powerful people!” Corazon told his son. “Also, what’s this about a cursed sword!? Don’t they usually try to kill their wielders!?”

_“I wAnT tO kIlL!”_

“Kikoku called out to me,” Law informed. “The shopkeeper was surprised that I could hear his voice. Kikoku wants to shed blood. I’ll shed Doflamingo’s blood as well as the ones who destroyed Flevance!”

“Be careful,” Crocodile warned. “Don’t submit to the cursed sword or he will take over you,”

“Take over me?” Law questioned.

“That’s how they kill their wielders,” Crocodile explained. “Their bloodthirst is too powerful so they take control of the mind and body of their wielders,”

Law smirked. “I won’t lose control to some sword,”

_“YoU wIlL eVeNtUaLlY sUbMiT tO mE!”_

XXX

They continued sailing, eventually reaching East Blue. The past year had been without any troubles, which had apparently caused them to become complacent. They hadn’t expected to encounter Doflamingo in East Blue, although at least he wasn’t near Dawn Island. They were both docked at some random island, taking time to stretch out their limbs and take a break from being stuck on a ship.

“Fufufu,” Doflamingo had a wide smile but the bulging veins proved that he was anything but happy. “It’s been a while, Corazon, Law,” The way he said his brother’s former codename was full of malice. “Law, why don’t you return to the family? We know that you’re not at fault for leaving. Corazon was the one who took you away,”

“I’m not going back!” The fourteen year old declared. “My crew and I will defeat you, Doflamingo!”

Behind his sunglasses, Doflamingo’s eye twitched. “I see that Corazon has brainwashed you into turning against me. But isn’t Corazon a Marine? I thought you would surely hate anyone connected to the World Government,”

“Oi flamingo bastard,” Crocodile interrupted. “You and your crew should stay out of our way or else I won’t hesitate to kill them,”

The threat against his family enraged Doflamingo. He sent out his strings to wrap around Crocodile’s neck. “If you so much as scratch any of my family members, I’ll make you suffer Croco-man!” 

But Crocodile remained calm. “The same goes for me. If you hurt my brother or nephew, I’ll kill you,”

“Brother? Nephew?” Doflamingo cackled. “I see you have a habit of stealing other people’s family now,”

“Law, how dare you betray the Young Master?” Baby 5 scolded, the twelve year old hitting Law’s head like old times. This resulted in a glare, causing Baby 5 to go to Buffalo for comfort as she cried.

“Young Master!” Gladius called. “Vice-Admiral Garp’s ship is approaching the harbor!”

At that moment, Garp jumped from his ship’s deck and landed on the docks. “I was on my way to visit my nephews, grandson, and grandnephew—”

“I’m not your grandnephew!” Law denied.

“And I find that these three left the island and abandoned their training?” 

Crocodile, Corazon, and Law paled at the mention of training. “ _Uncle_ Garp,” Crocodile tried to reason, using the familial title. “We were trying to train but the Donquixote Pirates interrupted the training and wouldn’t leave us alone,”

“Is that so?” Garp cracked his knuckles and focused his attention on the Donquixote Pirates.

“Let’s leave!” Crocodile ushered Corazon and Law back onto the ship and started to return to Dawn Island.

XXX

The Donquixote Pirates had narrowly managed to escape, intending on going in the opposite direction of Garp’s ship. Garp’s ship somehow managed to catch up to the Il Coccodrillo and they reached Dawn Island at about the same time. 

“Law!” Luffy launched himself at the older boy. “Shanks gave me his hat! I promised him that I would return it to him when I become the Pirate King!”

“Red-Haired Shanks was here!?” Garp bellowed. “How dare that pirate scum influence my grandson!? Give me that hat!”

Alligator pulled Luffy away from Garp, stopping him from taking the straw hat away. “Uncle Garp, Shanks saved Luffy’s life,”

“What?” Garp paused, not expecting to hear that.

“Luffy got kidnapped by a bandit and was nearly eaten by the Lord of the Coast,” Alligator informed. “Shanks saved him and lost an arm as a result,”

“Shanks lost and arm,” Crocodile parroted in disbelief. “To a Sea King?”

Luffy began to sulk. “It’s my fault…”

“Luffy it’s not your fault,” Alligator told him. “Blame the Sea King. I know, when you’re strong enough you can eat the Sea King. Sea King meat is delicious! Just don’t fall into the sea. You’ll drown,”

“Why would he drown?” Garp asked suspiciously.

“He ate a Devil Fruit without knowing what it was,”

“LUFFY YOU IDIOT!” The Fist of Love hit Luffy.


	6. Chapter 6

**Crocodile—34 years old**  
**Alligator and Corazon—27 years old**  
**Law—14 years old**  
**Luffy—7 years old**  
**Ace—10 years old**  
**Sabo—10 years old**  
**Penguin—16 years old**  
**Shachi—15 years old**  
**Bepo—10 years old**

“Like I said Gramps, I’m gonna be the Pirate King!” Luffy said as he was dangled by the cheek.

“What do you mean ‘Pirate King’!?” Garp scolded.

“There’s no way that kid’s gonna be the Pirate King!” Penguin said.

“Yeah!” Shachi agreed. “Captain Law’s gonna be the Pirate King first!”

“Huh?” Garp turned to the three teenagers and Mink.

“You dumbasses weren’t supposed to say anything!” Law snapped.

“You six are going to be Marines!” Garp declared as he delivered the Fist of Love to them.

“Garp-san, where are we going?” Corazon asked. “Wait, six?” He counted the kids. “Law, Bepo, Penguin, Shachi, Luffy…there are only five of them,”

“We’re gonna live with Ace and the Dadan Family!” Alligator said. “They’re the only ones who live up on Mount Corvo,”

Garp shot a look to Alligator. “How do you know them? How do you know about Ace?”

“I was taking a nap in the forest and thought Ace was a lost kid. He said that he lived in the forest and told me to piss off. I followed him to make sure he got home safely,” Alligator answered. “He’s a moody brat though. Even moodier than Law,”

“Oi!”

“Anyway, leaving you guys in that peaceful Foosha Village was a mistake!” Garp said as they continued forward. “Becoming friends with that damn Red-Haired Shanks is completely unacceptable!”

“But Uncle Al and Uncle Roci are friends with him!” Luffy argued.

“Hah!?”

“You left us on Roger’s ship!” Corazon pointed out. “You literally left without us!”

“Then why didn’t you defeat Roger’s crew while you were there?” Garp demanded.

“YOU THINK WE COULD’VE HANDLED THE ENTIRE CREW!?”

XXX

The end of the path led to a large wooden house. Garp knocked on the door. The door flew open, revealing an orange-haired woman. “So annoying! Who’s the reckless daredevil!?”

“It’s me!” Garp shouted.

The woman took a few steps back. “G-Garp-san!”

“Yo, Dadan, Dogra, Magra!” Alligator greeted from behind Garp. “My brothers, my nephews, and I will be chilling with you guys!”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Dadan protested. “Garp-san, I wish you’d just leave me alone for a change! Our hands are already full with just Ace! And now we have to house these guys? We’re not some inn!”

“What a crappy looking mountain hut!” Luffy insulted.

“You want to die, you brat!?” Dadan threatened but Luffy ran off. “He’s not listening!”

A blob of spit hit Luffy’s cheek. “What was that?” Luffy stopped running. “It’s spit! Nasty!”

“Who’s there!?” Penguin called out. “Our captain can beat you up!”

Ace sat silently on a rock, glaring down at them. “Hey you!” Luffy ran towards him. “Apologize! That’s gross!”

“Yo, Ace!” Alligator waved. “We met a few days ago, remember? Seriously though, you should apologize to Luffy. It’s not nice to spit at someone,”

In response, Ace spat at Alligator.

“LISTEN HERE YOU DAMN BRAT! I CAN KICK YOUR ASS SO YOU BETTER APOLOGIZE!” Alligator had lost his temper.

“Alligator, stop arguing with a child,” Crocodile scolded.

“Easy to say when you’re not the one who was spat on,” Alligator wiped the saliva from his face. “Stupid Ace…”

Luffy glared at Ace angrily. Ace ignored Luffy and glared at Law. Law met his gaze with a glare of his own. “You got something you want to say to me?”

“That’s it! Go beat him up captain!” Shachi cheered.

“Well, my business is done here,” Garp started to leave. “You’re all responsible for turning the kids into strong Marines! I’ll come visit when I have the time,”

Ace jumped down form the rock, steel pipe in his right hand. He walked passed Luffy who was still demanding an apology. Luffy put his straw hat on his head and recalled Shanks’ actions at the bar, wiping the spit off. Ace entered the hut and Luffy followed after.

“Luffy,” Corazon tried to stop him but was too late.

“There are more people inside there,” Crocodile noted the various auras inside the hut. “One of them grabbed Luffy from behind and is holding a blade to his throat,”

“What!?” Corazon rushed inside, falling to the floor.

“Let go of me!” Luffy demanded.

“If you don’t wanna die, then for over your cash!” The bandit threatened.

Corazon stood back up and delivered a punch to the bandit, causing him to drop the knife. “Nobody’s going to kill me nephew while I’m here!”

“Who the hell are you!?” The bandits demanded.

“That man is Garp-san’s nephew and the boy with the straw hat is Garp-san’s grandson,” Dogra informed.

“Eh!?” The bandits immediately realized their mistakes.

“A bunch of people are gonna live with us from now on,” Dogra said.

The bandits began to whine about having to take people in but Dadan silenced them. “Shut it! It’s time for dinner!” A large pile of meat was slammed to the ground beside her.

Everyone began to fight for the food. Luffy was struggling against one of the bandits. However, all of the food was taken, leaving nothing for the newcomers. “Let’s just go hunt like old times,” Alligator suggested.

“Or we could demand food from them,” Crocodile sat down on the floor. “After all, I am a pirate and pirates take whatever they want,”

One of the bandits paled, recognizing who Crocodile was. “I-It’s the Shichibukai! He’s ‘Desert King’ Crocodile!”

“Why’s a Shichibukai living with us!?” Magra exclaimed.

“Garp’s my uncle,” Crocodile answered, petting Pochi who was munching on food.

“EH!?”

“Here’s some food for you and your family, Crocodile-sama…” The bandits immediately offered their share to them in fear.

“Relax, I was joking,” Crocodile grabbed Luffy before he could snatch a piece of meat. “Hunting will help train these kids,”

“Uncle Croc let go! I want some meat!” Luffy struggled against Crocodile’s hold. He noticed Ace was munching on a plate full of meat. “Hey, why does he get some but I don’t?”

“Because he caught this buffalo himself,” Dadan answered. “If you want some meat, you’ll have to get it for yourself,”

“We haven’t introduced ourselves yet,” Corazon realized. “I’m Rocinante. These two are my older brothers, Crocodile and Alligator. The boy with the straw hat is Luffy, our cousin’s son. The boy with the spotted hat is Law, my son,”

“I’m Penguin and these two are Shachi and Bepo,” The eldest boy introduced. “We’re the Heart Pirates serving under Captain Law!”

“Crocodile? Alligator?” Ace snorted. “Those are stupid names,”

“They are not!” Alligator growled.

“They’re not even are birth names,” Crocodile mumbled but Alligator had heard him.

“Wait, they’re not?” Alligator asked.

“Do you really think that our biological mother would call us Crocodile and Alligator?” Crocodile asked.

“Roci’s older brother is Doflamingo,” Alligator pointed out.

“I chose the names Crocodile and Alligator because I didn’t want to associate with our biological father,” Crocodile claimed. “And I was eight when we were adopted so you can’t blame me for choosing my favorite animals,”

“What are our real names then?” Alligator questioned.

“I’ll tell you but we can’t tell it to random people. Some people still want to kill us for our bloodline,” Crocodile warned. “We come from a land known as Disparia, the people known as the Dispari. My name is Cratón and your name is Alistair,”

“What’s wrong with our bloodline?” Alligator narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “And why haven’t you told me anything before?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Crocodile avoided the question. “Let’s just go hunt for food,”

Ace watched as the group left. He thought about Crocodile’s dislike for his bloodline and how he himself hated his biological father, but shook the thought away.

XXX

“So what’re we gonna hunt for?” Shachi asked.

“We are not eating bears, crocodile, or alligators,” Crocodile declared. “Anything else can be hunted down and eaten,”

“Bepo and I are gonna get some fish from the nearby river,” Law said.

“Where’s Luffy?” Corazon looked around frantically.

“He saw Ace pass by and followed him,” Alligator answered.

“We’ll go help captain catch fish!” Penguin and Shachi were about to follow Law and Bepo, but Crocodile grabbed them.

“You both are gonna actually hunt,” Crocodile ordered. “Law was trained since he was ten and Minks are born warriors. You two are gonna either hunt and kill something or go hungry tonight,”

XXX

The group returned to the hut, Penguin and Shachi dragging a wild boar carcass while Bepo and Law carried fish with them. Ace soon returned with more fish, but Luffy wasn’t with him. “Ace, where’s Luffy?” Corazon asked.

“Hell if I know,” Ace responded.

Hours passed and Luffy still hadn’t arrived. “We should go look for him,” Corazon suggested. “What if he got eaten or killed?”

“Penguin, Shachi, your mission is to make sure Luffy doesn’t die,” Crocodile said.

“We don’t follow orders from you!” Penguin refused. “You’re not our captain!”

“Make sure Luffy doesn’t die,” Law parroted.

“Aye-aye captain!” The two teenagers ran outside to go find him.

“What’s up with Ace anyway?” Corazon asked. “He’s worse than when Law was his age! At least Law didn’t try to kill the other kids,”

“We’re back!” Penguin and Shachi called, kicking the door open and dragging Luffy with them. The youngest child had torn clothes and several injuries.

“So where did you go?” Law asked.

“I was being chased around by wolves at the bottom of the valley,” Luffy answered.

“We saved you some food,” Alligator passed a plate of boar meat to him.

“Meat!” Luffy ate it all in one mouthful.

Law tended to his wounds. “Why were you at the bottom of the valley in the first place?”

“I fell off the bridge,” Luffy told him.

“Be more careful, damn brat!” Dadan yelled. “If you die, then Garp’s gonna take it out on us too!”

XXX

The following day, Luffy tried to follow Ace again. A few minutes later, the group heard Luffy’s scream. They rushed over to find a bunch of crocodiles trying to eat the seven year old. “Leave the kid alone,” Crocodile ordered.

The crocodile whimpered, slinking back to the waters. “Did you use Conqueror’s Haki?” Alligator asked.

“I don’t have Conqueror’s Haki, but I can influence animals,” Crocodile explained. “Let’s just leave it at our bloodline,”

“Why won’t you just tell me about our bloodline?” Alligator whined.

“Luffy ran off again,” Crocodile noted. “Let’s just leave him. The obstacles he faces while chasing after Ace will be his training since he’s ditching us,”

Days turned into weeks and Luffy still continued chasing after Ace. Even when it was rainy or windy, he still followed. Even when he got hurt, he still continued on his routine the next day. Law always tended to Luffy’s wounds, already used to patching wounds up since he still had to deal with Corazon’s clumsiness.

XXX

“It’s already nighttime,” Corazon noted. “But neither Ace nor Luffy returned,”

“Luffy might be in the valley again,” Alistair suggested. “But usually Ace is back by now,”

“There’s no meat…” The bandits whined but eyed the food that the other group of people had.

One bandit tried to steal some of Law’s fish but his hand got stabbed by a scalpel. The Heart Pirates glared down at the man. “Did you just try to steal from our captain?” They proceeded to beat the crap out of that one bandit.

“He’s probably fine,” Crocodile said. “Ace probably took a tough path in an attempt to avoid Luffy again,”

XXX

The three had returned by the next morning. Rather than isolating himself from everyone else, Ace slept with two other boys by his side. Mostly everyone was awake and stared at them, noting their injuries. “Wait a second,” Alligator counted the number of boys in the pile. “Who’s the blonde kid? Roci, is he your long lost son?”

“I told you that I don’t have any biological children,” Corazon rolled his eyes at Alligator’s implication. “Just because he and I are the only two blondes in this hut doesn’t mean that we’re related by blood,”

“Ace! Luffy! Who is that!?” Dadan demanded.

“Who’s who?” Luffy fell back to sleep.

“You’re so noisy this morning,” Ace told her. “Do you know what time it is?”

Sabo sat up before immediately falling backwards without saying anything.

“Why’s there suddenly _another_ kid!?” Dadan exclaimed.

“It wasn’t us this time,” Crocodile claimed. “Those two brought him back with them,”

The three boy finally woke up. “I’m Sabo!” The new kid introduced.

“Luffy, Ace, Sabo, if you guys don’t come to training then you guys will be too weak for the pirate life!” Penguin bragged. “We’re getting better at Observation Haki and are learning a bit of Armament Haki,”

“Haki?” Sabo asked.

“It’s basically willpower manifestation,” Crocodile explained.  “Observation Haki allows you to sense the presence of others, even if they are concealed from view or too far to see naturally. Armament Haki allows the user to use their spirit to create an armor around themselves. It can be used as defense or used to injure Logia Devil Fruit users,”

“Logia?” Ace questioned.

“A Devil Fruit that allows the eater to manipulate, create, and become a force of nature such as sand and dust,” Alligator turned into a cloud of dust.

“Armament Haki allows a person to be able to grasp/hit a Logia user,” Corazon imbued his hand with Armament Haki and grabbed Alligator’s wrist.

“Since there’s no convincing you kids to become Marines and you’re all bent on being pirates, we’ll teach you the basics of Haki so you three don’t die,” Crocodile said.

“By the way, Bluejam’s crew is after us,” Sabo informed.

“You want them dead or alive when they’re arrested?” Crocodile polished his hook. “Either way, you’ll still be able to collect the bounty,”

“D-Dead?” Sabo stuttered. “You’re not actually going to kill them, right?”

“I will if I feel like it,” Crocodile responded calmly. “I’m upset that you three are hurt but it’s your guys’ own fault for stealing from pirates. Right now, let’s go catch some breakfast,”

At the river, the group easily caught large fishes. As they ate, Luffy showed off Gum-Gum Balloon to the others. Sabo and Ace jokingly kicked Luffy around and he ended up in the water. A crocodile rose up and was about to swallow Luffy but a glare from Sir Crocodile made him think twice.

XXX

One day, Crocodile decided that for the kids’ hard work at training, he would treat them to ramen. As they passed through Edge Town, some of the delinquents backed away at sight of Luffy, Ace, and Sabo. The group stopped by at a place known as Fine Dining Eiichirou in High Town. They were brought to a private room. Everyone ate ramen but Ace, Sabo, and Luffy ate the most bowls, totaling to twenty six bowls just for the three of them.

 _‘How can their bodies even handle that amount!?’_ Law mentally exclaimed. _‘From a medical point of view, that should be impossible for Sabo and Ace. For Luffy, his stomach could be expanding because he’s rubber but Ace and Sabo shouldn’t be able to eat this much too!’_

Corazon was glad at Ace’s change in personality. He was much happier now and wasn’t angry all the time like he was when they first arrived. _‘Luffy must’ve been a great influence on him. His smile is infectious,’_

“That was delicious!” Sabo commented as they paid and left. “I’ve never had ramen before!”

“Sabo!?” A nobleman recognized the blonde child as he caught sight of the group. “You’re still alive? Please, come home!”

Sabo’s expression became one of anger. “Hey Sabo, he’s calling for you,” Ace said.

“Who’s that?” Luffy asked.

“He must think I’m someone else,” Sabo claimed. “Let’s go!”

But the man persisted. “Sabo, come home!”

Noticing the boy’s discomfort, Corazon stepped between the man and the boy. “Who are you? What business do you have with Sabo?”

“Sabo’s my son!” The man said and made a grab for the boy. “You’re coming home with me!”

Corazon grabbed the man’s wrist. “Sabo, do you want to go with him?”

“No!” Sabo immediately refused.

“Sabo what are you saying!?” Outlook III exclaimed.

“Sabo doesn’t want to go with you so you should leave,” Corazon released the noble’s arm.

“He is my son! It’s my right to bring him home!” Outlook snapped.

“Just because you’re his biological father doesn’t mean you’re his family,” Corazon told him. “Family isn’t defined by blood. It’s defined by bonds,”

“Do you not know who I am!?” Outlook was outraged at how he was being treated. “I’m a noble, Outlook III! Sabo is going to marry the Princess of Goa Kingdom! If you do not hand him over, I’ll call the authorities,”

“Can I just kill him? He’s talking too much,” Crocodile interrupted.

“Let’s just leave,” Sabo said.

“I could just kill him,” Crocodile offered. “If anyone asks why, I’ll just say that he was attempting to kidnap my nephew,”

“He’s not worth our time,” Alligator said, noticing Sabo’s uncomfortableness, the boy withholding his anger as best as he could. “And besides, we don’t need to make a scene.

XXX

“So you’re the son of a noble?” Ace questioned after they had left High Town.

“Yeah…” Sabo nodded nervously. “The truth is, I’m not an orphan. Both of my parents are alive and I didn’t grow up in Grey Terminal either. I lied to you guys. I’m sorry,”

“If you were born a noble, why would you want to go to that place?” Ace asked.

“The reason why I ran away from home,” Sabo began. “All they wanted was an heir to protect their status and fortune. They didn’t care about me. If I couldn’t marry a royal girl, I’d be trash to them. My parents would always fight because I wasn’t good enough for them. I was nothing but a bother in that house. The nobles despised Grey Terminal but I’d rather stay there than live a life that’s been planned decades in advance in that suffocating High Town!”

“Why did you hide the truth from us?” Corazon asked.

“Everyone despises the nobles,” Sabo said. “I was afraid that you guys would despise me,”

“It doesn’t matter if you have noble blood running through your veins,” Corazon knelt down and put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re different from your parents and ancestors. You have different morals,”

“Sabo leaving High Town reminds me of your family leaving Mariejois, Rocinante,” Alligator commented. _‘If they don’t care about Sabo’s heritage and accepts him for who he is, then they should also accept Roci. It’s about time we let all of our heritage secrets out of the bag,’_

That immediately caught everyone’s attention, except Luffy’s. “What’s Mariejois? Can you eat it?” The seven year old asked.

“The Holy Land Mariejois is the place where the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons, live!” Sabo explained. “But why would Rocinante-san’s family be from there?”

“Cora-san, are you a former slave?” Law questioned.

“Alligator, why did you have to go and say that he’s from Mariejois,” Crocodile mumbled. “What you guys are going to hear must remain only to our family, okay? If anyone else finds out, whether they’re a noble, a Marine, or a civilian, they’ll try to cause problems for Roci,”

“Our lips are sealed,” Penguin promised.

 _‘Here goes nothing. Hopefully they don’t think differently of me. I want them to accept me for who I am just like Sengoku-san, Al, and Croc did,’_ Corazon took a deep breath. “I’m a former Celestial Dragon,”

There was a few seconds of silence. All of them except for Crocodile and Alligator exclaimed at the same time. “EH!?”

“When I was six years old, my family left Mariejois to live with humans,” Corazon informed. “But once the townsfolk learned that we were former Celestial Dragons, they took out all of their anger on us. For two years we suffered. Our mother died from illness due to the poor conditions we were forced to live in. One time, when they had caught us, my brother, father, and I were blindfolded and strung over a fire while they shot arrows and threw spears at us. Doffy and I were even beaten up over stealing a loaf of bread,”

“What happened to your father and brother?” Sabo hesitated to ask, knowing that it wasn’t going to be a happy ending.

“Doffy shot Father and cut off his head to try to regain his Celestial Dragon status,” Corazon’s voice was softer, but he didn’t cry. “Sengoku-san found and adopted me. That’s how I met Alligator and Crocodile,”

“That’s so sad!” Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo cried.

Although Law was hesitant, he also found the courage to share his own backstory since Corazon had shared his. Penguin and Shachi wrapped their arms overprotectively around Law, which caused the younger teen to slice them up.

“My…” Although three backstories had been shared, Ace was still reluctant. _‘They’ll hate me! They’ll think I’m the son of a devil that didn’t deserve to live!’_

“Gol D. Roger wasn’t a bad guy,” Alligator spoke up, breaking the silence. “He threw great parties. Rather than killing me and Roci when we were on his ship, they allowed us to join the party and dropped us off at the next island. I met Rouge-san once in Baterilla,”

“You met Rouge-san?” Even Corazon was surprised at the fact.

“You were on a mission at that time,” Alligator told him. “I was part of the Marines looking for the lover and child of Gol D. Roger. I saw Rouge-san and left her name off the list of pregnant woman on the island. Don’t hate yourself just because everyone is calling the son of Roger a demon child. They never truly knew Roger and of course the Marines make him look like a villain,” He smiled softly at Ace. “You really do resemble your parents,”

Ace rubbed his eyes, trying to hide his tears. _‘They…They’re accepting me for who I am…They don’t care that my father was the pirate king…’_

“Luffy, what about your parents?” Sabo asked.

“His father’s the most wanted man in the world,” Alligator said casually. “Penguin and Shachi are delinquents from Sparrow Island. Bepo’s from Zou,” He then turned to Crocodile. “So tell them about our heritage now! It’s only fair since everyone else shared their history!”

“Fine,” Crocodile gave in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will have the background of Crocodile and Alligator. It’ll be canon to the original Tales Universe story, The Tale of Crocodile and Alligator as well as its sequel, Tale 2: Revenge. Speaking of which, I should probably work on a new chapter for Tale 2: Revenge.  
> Just a heads up, the background of Croc and Al is not just last minute random additions like how Donquixote Law turned out. I actually had their histories planned since the first chapter of The Tale of Crocodile and Alligator but didn’t really know how to include it into the story.


End file.
